Paper Wings
by Sleep Walking Chicken
Summary: Two worlds rarely collide, so what happens when Kagome encounters a supernatural being on the sands of her beach? With long wings, abnormal features and dog ears, will she be able to protect him? Or will they be ripped apart? (complete)
1. Scroll I

Author's notes: Once again, I amaze myself with the cliché story ideas that always find a way to stroke the imagination of the plot bunnies. But alas, here I stand with one of those angel stories. However, I've never read an angel story, so if I steal someone's idea I totally did not mean to! This is based roughly on a story I read in my block class two semesters ago. It's been stuck in my head ever since.

**Paper Wings  
===  
Chapter One**  
===

Thunder rolled across the sky, the ominous black clouds colliding into each other as bolts of electricity charged towards Earth, connecting with the harsh waters of the ocean. Large waves shot up, foam collecting at their peaks before they came crashing down on one another, the green waters taking on a treacherous murky black color.

The thunder screamed loudly into the night and the beautifully round moon was hidden beneath the cloud's heavy depths. Anyone caught out in the storm would not survive; their ships would crash and fall victim to the dastardly waves, which many fisherman had already fallen victim to.

But despite all this, a loud scream filled the air, proving that there was one living inhabitant out on the perils of the water.

From the sky a figure flew through the air, gaining velocity, his eyes shut in absolute pain as the drops of rain slammed into him like large pebbles. His silver hair flew soundly above him, his back pointed towards the ocean, which rolled and crashed beneath him. In a fruitless attempt, he flapped his silvery wings, the lightning flashing around him reflecting off the glimpses of gold in the feathers. His white robe flapped around him, the thin linen barely staying on his body as the wind and water whipped against him.

He glanced over his shoulder and felt a small amount of dread fill him as he saw the approaching waters. His skin flushed to a deathly shade of white and he closed his golden eyes again, his jaw clenching. He braced himself for the crash he was about to endure.

As he hit the water, he released a loud, agonizing scream, his wings ripping as if made of paper. The sickening crack of bones filled his canine ears as he threw his head back and screamed again. He thrashed against the waves that came crashing down on him, but soon he was swept under the water, his vision blurred by the darkness of the ocean. Through his blurry gaze, however, he was able to make out the rivers of blood that seemed to surround him. He whimpered in pain, closed his eyes, and remembered nothing else.

===

Kagome gazed sadly out the window, her blue eyes taking in the damage her village had endured due to the storm they had to encounter not more than two days ago. Her own hut was placed on the Eastern most part of the village, closet to the ocean, yet her home hadn't witnessed the most damage. Instead, she was cursed with flooded floors and thousands of crabs hiding in various areas of her three roomed home.

"Kagome?" he mother's weak voice sounded from the other room. Kagome stirred from her dreamlike state and stood, retreating into the depths of her home to see her mother gently rocking her brother, Souta, the six month old child.

"Yes?"

"There are crabs everywhere, and many other disgusting creatures. Fish them out, will you?" She cooed her little brother when he began to whine and patted his back.  "Kagome?" The older woman gave her daughter a pointed glare.

"Yes…" she murmured and went back to the front of the house to grab the net she used to shoo away the crabs and other shellfish.

She grabbed the creatures quickly before throwing them into the large fishing net her father had used before the storm of two months ago had whisked him away. The death of her father was still an open wound, and she rarely spoke of him, for fear of bursting into tears. He, like many of the other men in her small village, had been a fisherman. However, he'd been fishing along with a few other choice men when an unexpected storm had hit, sending them down to their watery graves.

Kagome shook herself of these thoughts and began to step out of her hut. Like the other homes in her fishing village, hers was surrounded by a simple brick wall. The wall served as a barrier for a courtyard, which many of the people needed in order to protect their homes from small waves. Her village was situated on top of a rocky cliff with a worn path the men had worked on in order to go down to the docks and the beach below. Kagome sighed as she dragged the net out of her courtyard, deciding that she'd collected all the sea life that had taken residence in her home. 

Her feet left soft footprints in the sand as she approached the tide pools on the Northern end of the beach. She glanced at the sky, loving how the sun beat down on her back and not a cloud could be seen. She found it hard to believe that only two days ago the skies had been plagued with a dark shadow. She dragged the net towards one of the larger pools and dumped the shellfish into the warm water. They scurried away to hide under rocks or dug themselves into a hole. Kagome was happy to see that none of them had died on her trek here.

She rolled the net into a bundle and placed it under her arm delicately. The girl turned to return home, picking her way through the rocks when an odd sound caused her to stop her retreat home. She paused and stood still, trying to concentrate on only her hearing. It sounded like a bird flapping, and it was close. Kagome frowned as she tried to locate the injured bird. Perhaps Kagome had strayed too close to the bird's nest? But that made no sense; no bird would make their nest amid the tide pools, where the tide was due to come up near mid-afternoon. Then she saw it. It was nothing more than a flash of silver and gold out of the corner of her eye, but it caught Kagome's attention.

Her eyebrows slanted downward and her frown deepened as she approached the large, barnacle covered rocks, slick with seaweed and algae. She reeled back in shock when a pair of large wings emerged from behind the rock. She swallowed her gasp as she caught sight of the wings. They were enormous, larger than any bird's wing she'd ever seen. The feathers were ruffled, coming in colors of silver, gold and white, all flashing slightly in the morning sun. Then she noticed the injuries of the wings.

The bird's right wing was bent upward, the bone appearing to be snapped in half and was bleeding, rivers of blood running down the silken feathers, and staining them. She was also aware of punctures in the golden feathers. The left wing wasn't much better, part of the wing seemed to be sliced right down the middle, and it too was dripping with blood. It was accompanied by puncture marks as well.

"Gods…" she murmured at the obvious distress of the bird. It kept pumping its wings in hopes of flying away, yet it seemed that it might be permanently grounded unless it was healed. It made Kagome smile to know that she was the daughter of the village healer. If she could heal small children of coughing diseases, surely she could heal a bird. Granted, it was a large bird, but it was still a bird. One in need of assistance.

She unraveled the net, preparing to toss it over the rock in order to trap the bird and prevent it from trying to escape and causing more damage to itself. _'It must have been caught in the storm,'_ she realized, _'Swept up against these rocks; it's a wonder it isn't dead.'_

She crept towards the large wings and threw the net with all her might over the rocks. The wings thrashed as best they could against the netted web, but could not break free. After only a few moments of thrashing, the wings fell down and the creature was still. Kagome sighed sympathetically and crept over the rock. Only to receive the shock of her life.

There was no bird behind the rocks of the tide pools.

A boy stared up at her, his face one of pure terror. She was positive that her face reflected the same expression as well. She looked down at him, lying almost lifelessly in a pool, surrounded by what she would assume was his own blood. Large clumps of silvery hair fell over half his face, allowing her to only see one of his beautiful golden eyes. From the small stream of blood running down his face, she could assume that his other eye was somehow damaged. In fact, his whole body didn't look good. His right arm hung lifelessly beside him, covered in his blood. His left shoulder was bleeding, as well as his elbow. But what frightened her most were the wounds on his belly and his chest. There was a significant hole in his stomach, where his hand was feebly trying to stop the blood flow. His golden eye looked at her, his terror evident but accompanied by a pleading need as well as small amount of anger.

Then she focused on the twitching dog ears on top of his head. She stared at them in surprise. That was certainly odd. But then again, so was finding a winged man on her beach. One of his ears was bleeding, she noticed, and she wondered idly if there was anything that wasn't broken. His brown linen, which at one point might have been white, swirled around him in the pool, so she couldn't see his legs and the damage they had endured.

"What are you…?" she said more to her self then to him. He stared up at her, unsure how to respond and Kagome became faintly aware that perhaps he could not speak.

She pointed to him, "Hurt?" He stared at her for a long moment before giving the barest of nods. Kagome smiled slightly; at least he could understand her. "I can heal you," she said quietly and he gazed up at her, his golden gaze never wavering. "Heal?" she said slowly to him. He continued to stare. She pointed to him, "Hurt." Then she pointed to herself, "Heal."

Slowly he raised his hand, covered with red, and pointed at her. She could tell this caused him great pain because the hand flopped back down at his side. "…heal…" His voice was beautiful, she remarked quietly as she stared at him. True, it was slightly raspy, but despite that, he was a beautiful being with a heavenly voice.

===

"We're almost there," Kagome said reassuringly as she limped her way up the beach, the winged man draped over her shoulder as he struggled to walk. His left leg was bloody and his ankle looked swollen, but his right leg was well enough to walk on. Kagome smiled her support as they approached her home. "I'll be able to help you once we get there, don't worry," Kagome said kindly and the man nodded faintly.

His eyes closed for a long moment and his step faltered. Behind her, Kagome felt his wings beating.

"You're injured," she said softly and he reopened his eyes slowly, looking crestfallen. "You'll have to be healed before you can fly again," she looked over at him and saw he was watching some birds. She felt sympathy for this man, this man with wings. Had he come from heaven? The preacher in her village, who for some time had been trying to convert her village to Christianity , often spoke of heaven, but she had never thought it existed. Surely he had come from there, but what if he hadn't? It was confusing, how could something come from somewhere she didn't even believe in?

Kagome almost cried out happily when they approached her home. "We're here," she said unnecessarily. The man turned his face to look at her and she saw the world of gratitude in his eyes.


	2. Scroll II

**Paper Wings  
===  
Chapter Two  
===**

"Here, I'm not sure how my mama will react, so you'll have to stay in here for now," Kagome explained sadly as she led the injured man into her family's chicken coop. They had arrived to her house only to discover that her mother had been called away to help heal someone. Kagome slowly and delicately began to set the winged man down until he was leaning against the back wall of the chicken coop. Chickens stared at him and fluttered their wings in annoyance to the intrusion. The rooster ruffled his feathers at Kagome and she simply shooed the bird away. She turned to see that the injured boy was staring at the birds in what she could only guess was envy.

"I'm going to heal you," she promised as she knelt down to stare at him in the eye. "You'll be flying in no time, don't worry." She smiled warmly at him and he simply stared at her before his lips curved upward. "Wait here."

She exited the chicken coop and made a beeline for her home. The girl arrived and went to the cupboard where her mother kept the medical supplies. She bit her lip as she grabbed the necessary herbs and bandages, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to remember the differences between all the medicinal herbs.

"Kagome?" The girl paused when she heard her mother call and quickly stuffed the supplies into the long folds of her kimono sleeves.

"Yes, Mama?" Kagome asked kindly as she turned to look at her mother, who came walking in with the baby tied to her back. "I've gotten all the crabs back to the water…"

"Very good, Kagome," her mother said warmly as she began to set the baby into its bed. "Now then, I just came for some extra supplies. The priest's wife's baby is coming quicker than I expected," she shook her head and began muttering the names of the herbs she'd need to help the mother in childbirth. She opened the cupboard Kagome had just closed and looked around with a raised eyebrow. "Odd, I thought I had more than this," she mused to herself and quickly stuffed the necessary things into her bag. She stood up and smiled at Kagome. "Watch Souta, I should be back by sunset."

"Goodbye, mama," Kagome waved as her mother quickly left the courtyard. Kagome retreated to a small bucket in the corner where she did the laundry and dipped a wash cloth in the cool water. As soon as her mother was out of sight, Kagome slung Souta onto her back with a baby sling and began to trot towards the chicken coop. "Hello? Boy?" she pushed aside the door and walked in, to find that the man was still in the same spot he'd been left in, staring sadly out the small opening in the ceiling, watching birds fly by. Kagome's heart gave a painful lurch as she knelt beside him again. His head tilted back down towards her and they locked gazes. "I've brought herbs that will help you feel better."

He gave the faintest of nods and she set Souta in an abandoned chicken nest. The golden eyes followed her every move and she began to unwrap he linen bandages she'd need to wrap his injuries.

"Hold still," she said softly as she grasped his broken arm. He hissed in pain and squeezed his eyes shut, but did not move. She smoothed herbs over the wounds on his arm after wiping it with the washcloth and began to wrap his arm in a position where it would heal properly. He stared at her as she worked and she began to feel uneasy under his gaze. She looked up at him and realized something, "Can you speak at all?" True, she had heard him speak, but he repeated something she'd said. She wondered if perhaps he could speak on his own.

He looked at her.

"Do you have a name?" she whispered as she continued to work on his other arm, slinging the linen around his elbow. She took the wet washcloth and began to stroke it over his skin. She eyed his battered, ripped and dirtied robe and lightly touched the folds of it. He tensed and she glanced at him uneasily before slipping it off his arms, but had the decency to leave his legs and hips covered for the sake of modesty. She wondered if someone with wings had humility, or if she was simply being too judgmental. She wiped the cloth over his chest, revealing nicks and scraps. She bit her lip and began wrapping his chest, making sure to tie it over his shoulders as well, to cover the wounds there. She eyed his stomach wound and felt slightly queasy with the amount of blood he'd lost. The wound had stopped bleeding for the time being but just to be sure she put on extra herbs before tying it.

She didn't speak any more after that simply focused on helping this dying man.

Nearly an hour later, she was finished and simply running the washcloth over his forehead, cooling him and soothing him as best as she could.

He murmured something and she stilled, her blue eyes locking with his golden eye (the other one hidden beneath a bandage). "What?" she whispered and a small tingle of hope rose within her.

"My name…" he whispered and she could tell that it was painful for him to speak, "is Inu yasha."

"Inu yasha," she tried the name and it rolled off her tongue. She smiled warmly at him, "I'm Kagome…"

"Kagome…" he forced the name out from his lips, testing it out like she had done for him. His golden eye observed her for a moment before closing. "Kagome…"

"Yes…that's my name…" she said warmly.

===

"Inu yasha?" Kagome whispered as she slinked into the chicken coop before the sun rose. It had only been a day since she had found him and he had remained in the chicken coop while she tended to his injuries. He was a remarkable healer…though his wings were still slightly immobile, he would beat them occasionally in a desperate attempt to cool himself. But despite that, it hurt him too much to move the large wings. He couldn't speak much, for that hurt him, too, but whenever he spoke, a sense of warmth rushed through Kagome and she felt at peace. She sat next to him and lightly touched his healing shoulder. He roused from his light sleep and turned his head towards her.

"I brought food," she explained and held out some miso soup she had snuck out. He nodded and she began to feed him, spooning the broth down his throat, making sure not to give something that would be too hard for him to chew without irritating his jaw.

"Is this good?" she asked and he nodded, "Good, I made it."

He nodded his head and swallowed the food she stuck into his mouth. Once the food was down, she set the bowl aside and pulled out the wet washcloth she always carried with her when visiting him in the chicken coop. She began to run it over his face, starting at his forehead and working her way down his neck. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feel of the cloth on his skin. His wings quivered, but besides that he did not move.

"I don't know how long it will take to heal you," she admitted as she eyed his healing wounds, "Let's just hope that no one discovers you. It may be a little unnerving to see a man with wings in this small fishing village." She looked at him and found that he had fallen back asleep. She smiled faintly. "You're such a mystery."

His breathing was soft and Kagome seized this opportunity to clean and dress his wounds. Her eyes kept glancing at his beautifully carved face; he truly was lovely, gorgeous even. Before she could stop herself, her fingers were tracing the soft slope of his cheek. He had high cheekbones and his lips were full; he looked angelic, but that was to be true since he could be nothing else. There was no other way to explain his wings of a bird and his body of a man.

She retracted her hand guiltily and continued with cleaning his wounds. She pulled out a bar of handmade soap from her kimono sleeve and began to rub it against her washcloth. Glancing at his sleeping face, she pressed the soapy linen to his stomach, where his largest wound was located.

Kagome sighed after a good hour or so of cleaning and redressing his wounds. Already they were looking better than they had this morning, but it was still obvious how much it hurt Inu yasha to move.

She sat for a long time just observing his sleeping figure. Every so often his wings would quiver and the feathers would ruffle before smoothing back out. She couldn't help but be reminded of a roosting bird, but at the same time she was transfixed by his gorgeous face. She entertained the thought that perhaps this was the first time in a long time he'd ever slept, and it brought her great pride to know that he felt safe enough to sleep under he watch.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end.

"Kagome?" Kagome's eyes widened in shock as she heard her mother's voice approaching. "Kagome, where are you?"

Kagome knew she'd get in trouble if she didn't answer, but if she did her mother would enter the chicken coop and see the sleeping Inu yasha. What was she to do? She clenched her hands and her heartbeat sped up. She wasn't sure how, but her distress awoke Inu yasha and his golden eye looked at her curiously.

"Shhh," she warned the man and he nodded his understanding. Quickly grabbing an egg basket Kagome rushed out of the chicken coop and shut the door curtly behind her. "I'm here, mama!"

Her mother, who was on the other side of the courtyard, smiled at her daughter and made her way over, much to Kagome's dismay. "Kagome, what are you doing in the chicken coop? Didn't you collect eggs this morning? I highly doubt that there are eggs now, and I'm very certain the chickens don't appreciate your constant intrusions," her mother scolded gently.

"I'm sorry, Mother, but it does get awfully bored during the day, I wanted to occupy myself somehow," she said sweetly. _'Please buy it. If you go into the chicken coop, you'll see him. I don't want you to see him. I don't know what you'll do.'_

She could tell that her mother didn't fully believe her, but did not pry. "Come now, Kagome, its time to get ready for supper. Return the basket to the chicken coop and I'll meet you inside."

"Yes mother." Kagome watched her mother enter their home before slipping into the chicken house. Inu yasha stared up at her, the curiosity still shinning in his eyes. "I have to go now, but I'll be here in the morning."

His ears drooped and he looked crestfallen, much like he had when Kagome had told him his wings were broken. Kagome got down on her knees and hesitantly draped her arms over his shoulders, mindful of his injuries. Awkwardly, she gave him a tender hug.

"I'm sorry I have to leave you like this, but I don't know how my mother will react," she said gently, his ears twitching towards her voice. "I've told you they would probably be scared of you. You'll have to trust me. I'll be back tomorrow," she assured him.

He sighed in response and choked out a painful, "yes…"

"I'll be back in the morning. Sleep well, Inu yasha," she whispered gently to him.

"Sleep well…" he murmured back and she exited the chicken coop.

===

Kagome awoke the next morning when the sun began to beat down on her face. She yawned quietly and stretched her arms over her head, the folds of her sleeping kimono falling down her arms as she did so. Brushing her dark black hair away from her eyes, she turned her head towards the futon next to her. The one her mother slept in. It was empty.

With a jolt and a small gasp, she shot up. If it was morning and her mother was awake…that meant. "Oh no," she yelped and threw her coverings away and jumped away from her futon.

She flew from the hut just in time to see her mother approaching the chicken coop, "Mother, no!"

But it was too late; her mother had opened the door.

And Inu yasha was discovered.

===

_author's notes:_ Long ago (usually in Asian countries) people ate dinner before the sun set in order to be able to sleep when it became dark, they thought that if you remained awake during the night, evil spirits could capture your body. So, usually they'll have supper (which can also be considered a lunch) and then if food isn't scarce, they'll have dinner before they go to sleep.

I hope that explains why the beginning of the chapter is 'before the sun rose' and then her mom's talking about making supper. I have it set that they'd eat supper between noon and three. (That's still a while of caring for a guy with wings, but bare with me…)


	3. Scroll III

Author's notes: Yar…and now for the angst.

**Paper Wings  
===  
Chapter Three  
===**

The air around the three stood deathly still, Inu yasha stared with wide eyes as an older woman stared at him with an unreadable look. He could hear Kagome's footsteps rushing towards them before halting. He was in plain sight of the two woman's gazes and he felt very uneasy.

"Mama…" Kagome began but was cut off.

"Who is this…" her mother's voice was deadly serious, leaving no chance to dance around the subject. "_What_ is he?" Despite her rough speech, Kagome knew that her mother was more scared than she was anything else. She backed away a step and pushed Kagome behind her. "Kagome…" her voice held a warning tone.

"I found him," Kagome whispered, suddenly fearful of her mother's wrath and feeling like a criminal. "He was hurt…I was healing him…"

"_What is he?_" he mother repeated with narrowed eyes as she regarded the winged man, whose golden eye stared blankly.

"I don't know," Kagome murmured sheepishly. "He has wings…but…I just don't know…" How could she say he was an angel when she didn't believe in angels? Did that mean that all she believed in was a lie?

Her mother turned towards her and gave her a look that could freeze hell. "Get the Father," she murmured, referring to the priest who'd been converting her people. "Now…" she insisted when Kagome hesitated.

"Mother…"

"Now."

Kagome ran feebly from the courtyard, hating to leave Inu yasha alone with her mother, but really having no choice.

===

The priest looked at the winged man for a long while, his dark gaze just staring as he was met with an equally unwavering golden eye. The two men just stood, staring unblinking. Finally, the father shook his head and knelt before Inu yasha, his teeth chewing on his bottom lip.

"Father…do you know what it is?" Kagome's mother asked, her hands clasped together in front of her as she sent out a small prayer to her god. She didn't believe in Christianity, but at this moment, she was torn between who and what to believe in.

"Aye, he appears to be an angel…" The father trailed off and observed Inu yasha. He'd been a minister for a long time, he'd read the bible every night for the past twenty years, he'd heard confessions and he'd led the prayer in his church, but he had never seen something that was supposedly sent from God. But…the stories of angels were beautiful, heavenly, and angelic.

This…_creature_ was nothing like what an angel was supposed to look like. Underneath the tarnished and broken feathers that sprung across his wings, he could identify leathery skin, something that resembled a bat's wings more than a bird's. His long, dirty silver hair was not described in the stories, and golden eyes that were alit with a hidden fire, Hell's fire. And those ears…what angel was bestowed dog ears atop his head?

The priest stood and looked down upon the wounded man, his wings bent in odd positions, dried blood caking the silver and golden feathers.

"I shall write a letter to the bishop; he will know the answers to this…dilemma," the father said calmly and strolled out of the women's courtyard.

Father did write that letter; it took a while, but the bishop did receive the troubling news. He was both frightened and confused with the whole ordeal, and like the priest, was unable to determine an answer. Hesitantly, he wrote the priest stating that he was to write a letter to the pope and to keep the tiny village in their prayers.

Kagome watched him go, confused. If he was a priest, who was supposed to be in touch with God, why was it that he did not know the origin of a supposed angel? Was he not a messenger of God? Was that not what the father preached about? Why was it that he was questionable towards his God's will?

How could he question something like that? Could there be a possibility that Inu yasha was not that of a Christians' religion and something completely different?

Kagome turned her gaze towards Inu yasha and felt her heart stop. He was glaring at her.

Glaring at _her._

Could it be that he blamed her for what happened? Kagome felt her heart lurch in her chest. Could it be that she was responsible for this mess?

She couldn't bare that thought, that look, that absolutely heart stopping, intense gaze that Inu yasha held in his eyes was enough to make her believe that every misgiving in this world could all be blamed on her. Why was this happening to her? Why was the world so confusing to her? All she had done was care for someone injured; was she destined to punish this same soul because of her desire to heal him?

Had she just indirectly killed Inu yasha?

===

The next day, after Inu yasha had refused to even look at her, much less eat her food, Kagome was found in the village's marketplace retrieving food for her mother and Souta. Though still slightly angered with her mother's actions, and the father's reaction to Inu yasha, Kagome had forgiven their reactions as understandable.

However, as she was walking back home, she noticed that the small road leading to her home was a littler more crowded than she remembered…and that people were rushing quickly in her home's general direction.

Then she saw it.

It was hastily written, and she could tell it was in her mother's hand. But in the center in a large piece of parchment, was a crude picture of Inu yasha. It was fairly accurate except for the fact that his ears had been replaced with horns, and his wings were jagged and ugly instead of the elegant beauties they truly were. Blood adorned his hands and his face was contorted into a deadly glare instead of the peaceful face he wore as of late.

It was no doubt a work of her mother. The older woman had always been a fairly good artist, and her talent was not wasted on this parchment. But what horrified Kagome the most was what was written:

_Come see Lucifer's spawn, the forbidden angel._

Kagome stared in shock at it. Lucifer. The devil. Satan. That's what her mother was referring to. Kagome knew the story of the arch angel, Lucifer, and how he was banished to Earth with his demons. Though she didn't know the story by heart, she did know the gist of it, having to endure the story every winter at the time of celebration for the Christians.

Under the picture of Inu yasha it read:

_To the North of the Village, lies a monster.  
Untamed and unrestrained.   
Come see the monstrosity that is the fallen angel, the new devil on Earth. _

_One piece of silver._

So, not only was Inu yasha on display, he was a charged attraction.

Kagome stared and then stared at the people that walked by, paying her no mind.

Inu yasha was a display.

Kagome bolted home.


	4. Scroll IV

**Paper Wings  
===  
Chapter Four  
===**

If Kagome thought her day couldn't get any worse, she was obviously wrong. As she approached her home, her courtyard was swamped with a line leading towards her chicken coop, where Inu yasha was obviously placed. Her hands clenched in anger as she pushed past the would-be onlookers who had come to her home like visitors of the freak show that appeared from America every four years. At any rate, as she pushed through the people of her village, as well as some from neighboring villages, she scooped out her mother on the other side of the massive line, where a temporary fence had been set up around the chicken coop. Kagome wondered idly what she was going to do with the chickens before the real issue took over her senses and she charged forward, fire in her eyes.

Her mother was standing on a soap box and collecting pieces of silver from every person in line who approached her before instructing them when it was ok for them to see the 'forbidden angel' as she had so dubbed him. Didn't she realize that Inu yasha had a name? Of course she hadn't, the poor boy was probably cooped up in the chicken coop with rice paper around his ears in the shape of horns and his hands dipped in chicken blood so he would look at least remotely like the picture her mother had drawn.

Kagome wondered how many of those pictures she'd made, and how many she'd actually posted…but worst of all she feared the amount of people who would come to taunt her captured winged man. She refused to call him an angel, because she wasn't absolutely sure if that was what he was. Was he from heaven? Or somewhere else? How could he come from somewhere she didn't believe in? That was the one question that always plagued her mind when she thought about Inu yasha. Perhaps they were right and she was wrong, perhaps Inu yasha was Lucifer's hell spawn who had come to seek revenge on Earth. But then, why did he seem so gentle and sweet to her?

Well, as of late he'd been more interested in sending her deadly glares than he was actually being gentle and sweet.

Kagome approached her mother with a new furry deep within her. "Mother!"

"Kagome!" Her mother greeted her cheerfully, seemingly having forgotten that she was supposed to be in trouble for hiding such a 'hell spawn' in their family's chicken coop.

"Mother, what are you doing?" Kagome shrieked over the loud crowd that had collected in her home. She knew what was going on, the answer was clear, but that didn't stop Kagome from feeling enraged and betrayed. Inu yasha was in there being treated like an animal, and all her mother cared about was making some money.

"Why, putting the hell's child on display." Her mother turned from her for a moment before yelling at a child trying to sneak in. "Hey! That's one piece of silver to see Lucifer's right hand demon!" she snapped and the boy feebly dug in his pocket before producing the said wage to see Inu yasha. Her mother turned to the crowd. "Next in line, please step forward in order to see the magnificently horrifying hellion!"

"Mom!" Kagome's mother was once again drawn back to her daughter and the issue at hand. "How can you put a person on display? He has feelings, too!"

"How would you know?" Her mother said calmly as she continued to collect coins from the villagers. "It doesn't speak, It doesn't move, all it does is glare and clench its fist like it rules the world. Father said it was perhaps an angel, but an angel is from the sky. One who falls isn't an angel; it becomes a demon. Therefore, this demon I have in my chicken coop cannot feel anything but evil. I deserve to put it on display since it is my property."

_'Property? Property! How can she say that?'_ Kagome was shocked. He mother knew nothing about Inu yasha. Inu yasha could talk, he had spoken to her, but since his throat had been damaged the day she found him, it hurt him to speak. Same went for his moving. He had broken bones! She was surprised that he hadn't died from the amount of blood loss alone. And he didn't always glare. He wasn't always enraged with her mother. Perhaps if her mother had left him alone and let him heal, he wouldn't be classified as a 'hellion' as her mother so rudely called the beautiful man.

"He is not your property! He belongs to no one! He's his own person, mother!" Kagome was beyond angered.

She stormed past her mother in an attempt to close the chicken coop's doors and shoo away the villagers. It took her a while to push past the many onlookers but what she saw astounded her.

The chicken coop's doors had been knocked down, as well as two of the side walls, leaving the back wall completely bare with Inu yasha leaning up against it. His eye was closed in pain as if trying to drown out all the people staring and pointing and laughing at him. It was almost too much to bare. The majority of his wounds were open to the onlookers, the bandages having been removed, by her mother, no doubt.

But what angered her the most was the fact that people were throwing stones at Inu yasha. His eyes remained closed and he made no move to oppose the forces acting upon him. Instead he allowed them to inflict their wrath upon his already tarnished body. Kagome would have known of this. "Don't you people have any shame?" she yelped to the person closest to her, who happened to be one of the rock throwers. He spared her a glance before continuing to throw the stones.

Kagome silently fumed and turned towards Inu yasha, wishing she could help, only to see that he had met her gaze. His golden eye stared at her with such clarity and such emotion she felt rooted to the spot with that look. He didn't seem angry at her, maybe he realized she was trying to stop the villagers, but yet he still seemed so betrayed.

"Stop!" Kagome yelled as she forced her gaze away from Inu yasha. "Stop! Leave him alone!"

Some villagers faltered in their assault to glare at the woman who was trying to interrupt their fun and simply threw the rocks, and now food, with renewed vigor.

One villager boy dared to near Inu yasha, a large rock in his hands, and stand dangerously close to the 'hell spawn'. His arms were shaking from the weight of the rock and he was happy to drop it in Inu yasha's lap. He let out a small shriek, something Kagome hadn't heard him do, his voice always remaining near or slightly over a whisper. He closed his eye in pain and bit his lip, clenching his fists in the dirt as he tried to suppress the pain that shot through him when the rock landed on his stomach.

Kagome's eyes widened and she stormed to the boy, who looked very impressed with himself, that is until he saw Kagome coming, and then he began to run away. She stood in front of the man with wings and glared the people she had grown up with. "Have you people no shame?" she yelled to them. "He's defenseless, and all you can do is injure him more? Continue this and he will die!" her speech landed on deaf ears as they began to throw the rocks at her. She yelped in surprise and raised her hands to shield the beating.

Then she heard a rustle of cloth and the fluttering of broken wings behind her. With a gasp she turned to see Inu yasha was standing, one hand leaning against the wall so that he didn't fall over. But his eye was alit with anger and rage. His eye narrowed and he bared his teeth at the people. Then he struggled forward, making sure one of his wings covered Kagome.

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise when she realized that Inu yasha was protecting her. He was willingly putting himself in harms way in order to make sure she wasn't hurt. She was profusely touched by his actions, his desire to protect her overriding his pain that was obvious from his posture and the amount of bruises the rocks had been delivering him.

She gently touched his back, feeling the firm muscle she hadn't felt before underneath his torn and dirtied kimono. His back was completely bare in order to let his wings be free, and she noticed the healing scrapes there. "Please, don't," she begged him, not wanting him to be hurt more at her expense. He didn't move. He didn't even make any sign of having heard her. But she knew he had, because his ears turned back towards her.

Kagome felt tears collecting in her eyes. This was all her fault. If she hadn't found Inu yasha, he wouldn't be in this mess. He'd be safe and free from this torment. He wouldn't have to endure the torture of her kinsmen, nor would he have to feel that he had to protect her from said kinsmen. It was all her fault.

_'But if I hadn't found him, he would have died…I was destined to find him,'_ she decided with a small sob. Inu yasha tensed as a particularly large rock hit him as well as the sounds of Kagome's sobs hit his ears.

He turned around and allowed the rocks to hit his back as he stared down at her. He seemed puzzled from her display of emotion, but she couldn't miss the small amount of panic that flashed past his golden orb. She flashed a watery smile and shook her head. "Please, stop trying to protect me, I'm not worth it."

He stared at her for a long time, unblinking and his gaze unwavering. "You're always worth it," he finally said and turned back around, taking on the attack of pebbles. Kagome stared at his back in surprise and she knew, she knew no matter what she did, he wouldn't stop. She also knew that no matter what she did, Inu yasha would always protect her.

Always…

===

"I can't believe you did that to him," Kagome scolded that night as her mother ushered the villagers out of her courtyard, declaring to come back tomorrow to see the devil. Until then, the monster needed his rest as well. Her mother was delighted with the amount of customers she'd received for the winged man who now occupied her destroyed chicken coop. Turns out her mother had moved the chickens to a temporary home in the back of their hut, away from the customers and visitors.

"Like I said earlier, Kagome," her mother said smoothly as she locked the gate to the courtyard, so no one could sneak in for a free peep of the demon. "It has no feelings. It's an evil being who deserves whatever it gets. Besides, I made 256 pieces of silver, at this rate we'll be living it like the villager leader in no time."

"_He's_ not evil. You don't even know him!" Kagome said, fuming, completely ignoring her mother's enthusiasm about the money.

Her mother turned to glare at her daughter. "And neither do you. It just showed up on the beach, you say, and you've been caring for it ever since. Do you know anything about it? It was doomed for exile from the very start. Why do you think it was here?"

"Mother, don't tell me you actually believe what the Father says," Kagome said in horror.

"I think that what we have here," her mother said as she walked by the sleeping Inu yasha, who had been knocked unconscious from the abuse he'd received and had yet to wake up. "Is another Lucifer. This creature became too pompous and arrogant and thus was exiled. This may be a lesson to you, Kagome."

"You do believe what the Father says," Kagome declared, her eyes widening. "Mother, how can you betray your heritage just like that?" she snapped her fingers for emphasis. "You would never believe that stuff!"

"Until now," her mother said crossly, "now I have seen proof of God's will. This must be a sign from Him to tell me that I was unsaved. Souta shall be saved. Kagome, you shall be saved."

"Saved from what?" Kagome asked angrily.

"Hell."

"How can I be saved from something I don't believe in?" Kagome inquired, her temper quickly disappearing at these turns of events. Her mother had practically converted right before her eyes. She turned her eyes towards Inu yasha. "He is not from heaven, he is not from hell."

"Then where is it from?" Still her mother refused to call Inu yasha a 'him'.

Kagome stopped her rant about heaven and hell, about Inu yasha, about converting, about everything. Her eyes drifted back to Inu yasha and her heart broke. "I don't know."

"And I do. It is destined to go to hell," Her mother said firmly, in a tone that left no room for discussion. "We'll be attending church from now on and praying at meal time." Kagome stared in horror. How had this happened? How had her mother converted without her knowledge, how had she allowed Inu yasha to be found? Where had she gone wrong when trying to protect the most beautiful man she'd ever seen? What? What did she do to deserve this?

Kagome stared at him, her eyes softening and her heartbeat speeding.

Her mother narrowed her eyes and watched her daughter's reaction. "If the devil gone in the morning, I'll know who it is that did it." she gazed at her daughter and sighed. "Kagome I love you dearly, I just don't want you to get hurt. Can't you see that it's dangerous to be around this thing? Can't you see that it's casting a spell on you? Look at you! You're defending it!"

"I want to defend him!" Kagome snapped as she turned towards her mother. "Can't you believe me and trust me enough to let me make my own decisions?"

"Kagome, you can't continue to show this thing kindness. The villagers believe you are in love with it." Her mother's eyes went from rage to sadness. "You're my only daughter, and my first born. I love you so dearly. I don't want you to get hurt by this thing or the villagers. They'll kill you if they discover that you're in love with it."

"I'm not in love with it!" Kagome snapped, though she wasn't entirely sure herself. "And I won't let anyone hurt me. _Or him._ He protected me today, mom, and I've been healing him. And nothing you say can change that!" She started walking towards him. "Now I'm going to take care of him and if you don't like that, then you can go read the bible to Souta, because I'm not changing my mind!"

With that she marched towards Inu yasha.

She knelt beside the sleeping man and felt for a pulse, grateful when she found one. She let a stray tear fall from her eye as she touched his forehead, smoothing out the bangs. How she'd like nothing more than to release him or to run away with him. But she couldn't. Her home was here, and besides, he was too injured to fly anywhere yet.

She took a deep breath and pulled medical supplies from her kimono sleeve she'd supplied earlier. She began to wrap the old and new injuries he'd acquired and felt a small tear leak out from her eye. She bashfully wiped it away as she worked on his wounds.

She felt him stir and pulled away, giving him room to stretch and recollect himself. "Are you okay?" she asked after a moment.

He rubbed his eye and shook his head. "Fine."

"I'm glad," she said sadly as she stared at the bruises on his chest, the kimono having been pushed back while their small conversation took place. "All this over me," she murmured and sighed. "This is my entire fault."

"I thought you had told them," he said and she stared at him, surprised by the long sentence he'd just uttered. Normally he tried to keep his voice as quiet and brief as possible. "That's why I was mad."

"I understand. If I had done a better job at hiding you…" He shook his head and Kagome trailed off.

"No."

"But-"

"No."

Kagome sighed. So her winged man was stubborn?

"Even so, maybe it would have been better if I had never found you," she admitted but she didn't miss the pained expression on his face. She immediately felt guilty for saying it. "Not that I don't like being near you. You just keep getting hurt on my account; it makes me feel horrible. Like it really is my entire fault."

"I would be dead without you," he whispered what she had thought earlier.

Kagome stared at him, entranced by his beautiful voice and his secretive smile. "Why don't you ever talk more? You're voice is pretty," she heard herself say before she could stop herself.

He blinked at her as her cheeks turned a bright pink and he tilted his head to the side, surveying her. She bowed her head in embarrassment and couldn't meet his gaze.

When she looked up again, he hadn't moved his position, but he seemed deep in thought. Finally, he spoke quietly, "Because I have nothing to say."

Nothing to say? What an odd thing _to_ say. He must have lots to say, he had to be joking. But as she looked at him, she realized that he was completely serious. Perhaps he really didn't have anything to say. But yet, she wanted to hear him so badly…

"Oh," she said, suddenly feeling very bashful. Inu yasha was much more literate than she had given him credit for, all this time she'd thought he was a mute being with broken wings and bones. Never would she have guessed he was capable of higher thought and speech.

He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh and Kagome suddenly remembered her job. She continued to heal him until he fell asleep yet again.

===

Kagome awoke the next morning to laughing and jeering. She feebly opened her eyes and stared at her ceiling, just lying pointlessly on the futon. She took a deep breath of salty sea air and wondered what had awoken her. Then she heard her mother's voice, "Next please!"

Kagome couldn't believe it! She was at it again! And so early in the morning.

"Where did it come from? Heaven? Hell? Find out! The forbidden angel, the spawn of Satan himself! Come see it! One piece of silver to see it!"

Kagome felt infuriated. She kept calling him it! And she was collecting money for villagers to throw rocks at him. Dressing quickly in a kimono, Kagome stormed out of her hut, only to be met with many villagers.

They were throwing fruit at Inu yasha, who was once again making no effort to stop them. His eyes were closed and his breathing was soft. It almost seemed like he was sleeping, unaware of what was going on around him.

That is until an orange hit him and splattered across his face. He cringed as the citrus sunk into his wounds and stung him. His eyes shut tighter and his jaw was set. Kagome was infuriated as the sounds of her villagers' laughter filled her ears. They were mocking him now, little children flapping their arms as they pretended to fly, and the adults throwing various fruits, mostly settling on citrus fruits now that they realized it had the most affect on him.

"Stop it!" Kagome yelled again, much like she had yesterday. Inu yasha cracked open an eye to look at her, before a rotten orange hit him in the face, causing the orange's juice to get into his eye and on the cuts on his cheeks. He yelped and keeled over, trying to protect himself. His broken wing fell over him like a veil, while the other one stuck up like a sail on a boat. More laughter from her people.

How could they do this? How can they stand there and laugh at another's misfortune? And why wasn't she doing anything about it?

At that realization, Kagome snapped out of her horrified shock and charged forward once again, standing in front of Inu yasha with her arms outstretched.

"Stop it, you horrible people!" was what left her mouth. She couldn't even express how enraged she was and she sputtered as she tried to think of an excuse to get rid of these people.

Instead they tried throwing fruit at her, but she would have known of it. With a snarl she walked behind the bundled up Inu yasha and grabbed a long plank of wood, an extra from the chicken coop. "Get the hell out of my home!" she yelled, holding her weapon high above her head. "Stay away!"

The people stood uneasily, since they hadn't brought weapons, simply fruit and pebbles to throw at the demon. They looked at each other uneasily before backing up a step.

Kagome saw her mother staring at her in shock. "Tell them to leave. _Now,_" she growled out towards her mother and made a step towards the crowd. She wasn't the strongest girl in the world, but she would do what she had to in order to protect Inu yasha. "NOW, mother."

Her mother, surprisingly, listened to her daughter and shooed the people away, promising them they could come back tomorrow and those who were sent away before they could get a proper visit would get in free. Kagome watched them go, fuming.

"Kagome, I don't know what that was just now," her mother berated her with a frown. "But I hope you don't do that again. That can and will make our income suffer."

"Is that all you care about?" Kagome hissed angrily.

Her mother said nothing and stomped into the house when Souta began crying.

After she was sure her mother was out of sight, Kagome raced to Inu yasha, tears already falling from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she cried when she fell beside him; he was still twitching in pain, but said nothing. "I…didn't mean for this to happen…" she said softly as she began to cry harder.

Inu yasha stared at her and lifted his hand, his fingers gently touching her cheek, where a single tear ran down his hand. "Why…are you…crying?" he whispered out quietly.

Kagome bit her lip and tried to suppress her sobs. "Why? Why are they like this to you?"

He was silent for a long moment before he began to shift in his seat. Kagome blinked and backed away from him to give him room. He sat up straight, making Kagome aware of the fact that he was much taller than her. Before she could stop him (not that she would have) Inu yasha's arms were wrapped tightly around her and holding her to his chest. Kagome tensed in shock before relaxing in his embrace. She hesitantly moved her hands around to his bare back, her hands landing on the skin that wasn't covered by his kimono.

"They don't understand," he murmured, and Kagome knew he was right.

After a few moments, Kagome found herself no longer crying but simply enjoying the protective grasp Inu yasha held her in. When had he found it necessary to protect her so willingly? He truly was a mystery to her, and yet the most beautiful person she'd ever seen. She pulled away slightly to look at his face and saw that he was looking back at her, a shadow of a smile on his face.

"It will be alright, I promise," he assured.

Once again Kagome wondered why he didn't speak more often.

===

"We shouldn't tempt fate like this," the Father said harshly to the town leader. The leader turned and looked at him, his red eyes narrowing as his look quickly became a glare.

"I will be the judge of whether this is fate or not," he said harshly.

"Naraku," the father said with a downturn of his eyebrows, "We don't know what that thing is! And now the healer has put him on display. If he truly is a spawn of Satan, don't you think that he's only biding his time before he kills us? We're throwing rocks and food at him, Naraku. That cannot be something welcomed, especially with a supposed evil being."

Naraku snorted and tapped his chin in thought, "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am," the priest said with an upturn of his nose. "I know the ways of the Lord."

"Indeed," Naraku folded his hands into his lap, "So what do you propose we do?"

"Well…" the Christian preacher thought for a long moment. "I suppose we could dispose of him."

"What of that healer's child," Naraku snarled. "I have heard rumors."

"I have too, Naraku."

"That the brat is in love with the demon?" Naraku asked and the priest nodded, clarifying the fact they'd heard the same rumor. "Is it true?"

"It is unknown," the priest said gravely. "She protects him and he protects her. My hunch is that he's casting a spell on her and making her treat him like a slave against her will or knowledge."

"Do you have proof of this?"

"No, it is simply a hunch…"

"Hm…"

"At any rate, we should dispose of this man, whether that girl gets in the way or not. I propose we kill him, that's the simplest we can do."

"Oh, and that would not anger the demons?" Naraku said sarcastically as he sent a withered glare towards the priest.

"Hm, I hadn't thought of that." The father bit his lip in concentration. "Do you have any ideas, then?" he questioned the town leader.

Naraku smirked and nodded his head. "Why not give him to someone else?"

"Who could possibly want him if they are aware of the wrath that could be thrown upon us?" the preacher said with a large sigh and a shake of his head. "This is impossible. We've been hit by the plague."

"Don't be so sure."

"Then who would possibly take something that could be dangerous to our health? And to other's?" The preacher nearly screamed at Naraku but managed to regain his cool before he lost his temper.

Naraku smirked. "The Americans."

===

author's notes: Oh, look who updated early?

-I am not Christian, I am a Buddhist. Therefore, there is probably some things about Christianity I've either forgotten or I've screwed up completely. Please forgive me, for I am ignorant in the ways of the Christians.


	5. Scroll V

**Paper Wings  
===  
Chapter Five  
===**

The teasing of Inu yasha came to an almost complete halt when a massive storm hit, nearly whipping the trees out by their roots and causing the houses to fly away with the wind. Kagome spent most of her time taking care of Inu yasha, who was forced to remain outside by her mother's demand. However, every time her mother dared to leave the house, Kagome would sneak the poor boy inside to keep him warm. Souta was always thrilled to see Inu yasha and would giggle and babble whenever the golden eyed man entered the home. The storm lasted for nearly a week and restoring what had been damaged took another week. By the time everything was back to normal, Inu yasha was nearly healed, though he was still too week to move around freely, and needed some support to keep him on his two feet.

"Well, I suppose I'm off to church," her mother said one day as she hoisted Souta onto her hip. "Are you sure you don't want to come, Kagome?"

"I'm sure, mama," Kagome said with a sigh.

Her mother sighed and walked to her daughter. "Kagome, I want you to know," she said with a small smile, "that I love you and I care for you. I know the way I've acted isn't very motherly…and I'm sure my excuses would only make you angry."

"I understand mother," Kagome said quietly.

"I'm just very saddened when I see you trying to resist," her mother said quietly and quickly shook her head, "Well, I'm off, I'll see you this afternoon sweetie." 

"Goodbye, Mother," Kagome waved as her mother left the courtyard with Souta babbling away with his baby talk.

As soon as her mother was out of sight, Kagome retreated to her home and searched for food and a blanket for Inu yasha. The winged boy was growing sick from the drastic changes in weather and she wanted him to feel better. As she threw some herbs into the miso soup she'd prepared, she grabbed a small blanket that wouldn't be missed.

Kagome padded out towards Inu yasha, who was still sitting in the same position he had for the storm. His knees huddled towards his chest and his arms wrapped around his knees. His head was lowered on top of his folded arms and he looked lethargic and depressed. She could understand why, of course. She hadn't been able to get a good look, and her knowledge of bird's wings were very limited, so it was very hard for her to determined whether he was healed or not, and if he wasn't, how long it would take for him to heal. But worst of all, was his ill treatment. For all Kagome knew, she was the only one to ever show Inu yasha kindness.

She knelt beside Inu yasha and gave him a cheerful smile. He returned it faintly as Kagome threw the blanket around his shoulders, covering as much as she could, while still trying to avoid his wings, which were constantly in the way.

"Good morning," she murmured, and one of his dog ears twitched, signaling that he had heard her. He opened his golden eyes (the once injured one finally healed), and tilted his head, spilling silver hair over one shoulder. She smiled and gently touched his forehead. "I'm glad that the storm has stopped; maybe now you're fever will go down," she said sadly.

"I'm very cold," he said and looked puzzled.

"Usually when someone gets really cold, their body heat gets very warm," she explained gently to the confused man. He nodded slightly and let out a small sigh. "I hope you're hungry, I've brought you some food."

"Yes," he breathed and shifted his position so he could better hold the miso soup. However, Kagome moved his hands back down into his lap.

"I'll feed you, you need your strength," she whispered, a slight blush on her cheeks. They both knew perfectly well that Inu yasha could eat on his own, but Kagome enjoyed feeding him. It gave her an excuse to be close to Inu yasha. Inu yasha smiled and nodded, his golden eyes studying her.

Kagome soon began spooning the food into Inu yasha's mouth, her blue eyes glowing with warmth and her caring nature evident as she tenderly fed the man, brushing his hair away every so often. As the bowl was emptied, Kagome set about getting him more blankets, the small one she provided for him barely covering his shoulders.

"Feeling any better?" she asked after another blanket had been draped into Inu yasha's lap. The winged man sighed and nodded, closing his eyes. Kagome gently sat down next to him, leaning against the only remaining wall of the chicken coop. "Are you ok?" she asked, his whole demeanor seemingly depressed and anxious.

"Your people," he whispered, "Why are they so different from you?"

The question surprised her. Mostly because she was thinking the same thing as he was. But also because of his uncanny way of always catching her off guard. Kagome bowed her head and let out a sigh. "There are evil people in this world, and there are good people, Inu yasha," she murmured quietly, lifting her head to stare at the cloudy gray sky. "It's not really their fault; they might be scared."

Inu yasha was quiet, his eyebrows tilted downwards towards the center of his face. He seemed agitated. With a gentle exhale of breath, Kagome wrapped her arms around him. "It will be ok, I promise," she whispered into one of his twitching dog ears. Yet she knew, and so did he, that she was not able to truthfully make such a promise.

===

"We've called you here for a reason," Naraku said smoothly to the village's healer. The motherly woman sat down at the low table with delicate ease, staring at the village leader with a trained ease.

"I would like to know this reason, my daughter is alone at home, I don't want to keep her waiting," the woman said with a narrow of her eyes.

"Yes, it has come to my attention that some fear this…demon that you have on your property," Naraku said calmly, taking a sip of his tea that his servant had placed before him. "My main priority is my people. You yourself included, of course."

"Go on," Kagome's mother said slowly.

"I would like to buy this monster from you," Naraku said, no longer beating around the bush. "I would give you fifty pieces of silver for him. He will be out of your hands."

"I am quite happy with the demon, thank you. I am making a profit. It is not for sale," the healer said firmly.

"I do not think you have thought this through, woman," Naraku said crossly. "It's only a matter of time before the villagers grow tired of this creature. What will you do then? Even if your profits do stay up, you'll have to feed it and take care of it. If you do not, it will die."

Kagome's mother paused in thought. "I want one hundred pieces of silver for it," she said finally.

Naraku frowned deeply, his dark eyes surveying the woman. "Fine," he finally agreed after a long moments pause. "But not a coin more."

"Of course."

"I shall come to collect him within the week."

"What of my daughter?" The woman took on the role as the concerned mother. "What if she tries to get in the way?"

"I will force her out of the way."

The healer's eyes narrowed and she slammed her fists against the table. "You will _not_ lay a finger on Kagome. You will not harm her." Her angry tone left no room for discussion.

Naraku, still managing to maintain his composure, let out a very tight smile. "Of course. I will not touch your daughter."

Kagome's mother sneered and stood. She dusted off nonexistent dirt from her long kimono folds and turned, curtly leaving the village leader's home. Naraku chuckled.

"Sir?" a quiet woman's voice sounded from the doorway where the angered mother had stormed out.

"What is it?"

"Reverend Brown is here to see you," the meek girl stated, clutching the doorway.

"Send him in."

"Yes, sir."

Shortly after the woman disappeared from sight, the said priest came walking into his large room. "Naraku," he greeted.

"You have contacted the Americans, then?" Naraku said, not bothering with any formalities like he had with the healer.

"Yes, Naraku," the priest said as he sat before Naraku, across from the table. "They have agreed to buy the demon for one hundred of their English currency."

"Hm, I see…" Naraku said with a frown decorating his face.

"It seems like a lot, but has the healer agreed to sell the monster?" Brown asked as he shifted his position, now leaning forward, his elbows on the table.

"Yes, she has," Naraku scowled, "She requested one hundred silver pieces."

"Ah, I see," the priest clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "When they get here, they'll want the demon."

"Yes, I know that," Naraku snapped.

"We can ask for more money once they get here," The priest said smoothly and stood. "It was a pleasure speaking to you, Naraku," he said nonchalantly. "I shall see you on Sunday, then?"

Naraku snorted before standing and leaving the room.

===

"Welcome back," the young priest greeted Reverend Brown as he entered the church. The younger boy of Japanese origin watched as the priest stormed past him and into the little side room on the southern side of the church. "Father?" he asked tentatively as he followed his mentor into the room.

"It is done," Brown said with a small smile as he collapsed onto a pile of mats. He let out a collected sigh of relief and wiped his blond hair out of his eyes. "The beast will be gone soon. I will no longer carry the burden of knowing a hell spawn is threatening the people."

The young apprentice sat down next to his superior and crossed his arms over his knees. His dark blue eyes surveyed the older Christian. "The demon the healer is displaying?" he clarified.

"Who else would I be talking about, boy?" the priest asked, irritated with the built up stress he'd been experiencing as of late.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking…?" the boy trailed off and waited expectantly.

"What is it you want, Miroku?" the pastor asked, eying his pupil with a weary gaze.

"Is this…demon truly evil?" the boy named Miroku asked skeptically. "Don't get me wrong, sir, I truly do not want anything ill to happen to my people as well. But…I've been thinking about what everyone has said about him and what they have done to him, and I couldn't help but wondering…aren't we the ones who are sinning?"

The priest gave him a deadly glare that demanded an explanation.

"Please, sir, it's just that, he has done no evil to us thus far," Miroku said, growing anxious for some kind of reassurance. "We are acting ill towards him, when we are to love and care for all. Are we not the ones who are treating this man in prejudice and malice?"

"Miroku, you're mind has become too foggy. He is a demon, an angel that fell from the sky. Do you not know the story of Lucifer and his followers?"

"Yes, I am aware of them."

"They were banished. They are fallen angels. This creature fell as well, there's no other explanation. He was banished from heaven because he questioned our Lord, much like you are doing now. Miroku, do you want Him to cast his wrath? Our Lord is very forgiving, but do not be pulled in by Lucifer's trickery. It has already captured another who is unsaved."

"The healer's daughter?" Miroku knew the girl. Everyone knew of the girl. Kagome. Rumors had spread like a forest fire, all declaring that the devil had cast a spell upon the poor girl, that she was rapidly growing attached to the monster.

"Yes." The minister frowned. "Miroku, don't be pulled in like she was. It may be too late to save her."

"I won't sir." Miroku stood. "Please excuse me; I must light the candles."

"Of course."

Miroku left the man's chambers and walked around the church, lighting the white candles, their flames casting an eerie and beautiful glow upon the stone walls. Miroku's mind, however, was still plagued with his thoughts of right and wrong. He had long ago converted to the Lord's teachings. However, he could not help but feel a string of doubt within him. Was what the priest saying true? Was this winged man truly evil?

Or were they the ones who were sinning…?

===

_Author's notes:_ Added Miroku on a whim there, just about to send it to the beta, when that thought struck me…So anyways, he's there to demonstrate a foil to the priest (who got a name this chapter, finally!)  He's also there to try and show that I really don't think that Christians are evil (sorry to anyone who though that…though I guess it was inevitable the way I portrayed them…)

Lots of controversy… (Stares at reviews) Kind of got a mixture of either tolerance or disgust to my portrayal of Christians. I am in no way trying to insult people. I'm just a walking controversy who writes what she thinks. I myself am not Christian, my mother celebrates all religions, my dad really isn't anything, my beta is a Jew and one of my best friends is an atheist who's thinking of becoming a pagan. In short, I have little experience with Christian faith. However, I have met some Christians, and I'm sorry to say that my experience with them was less than pleasurable. They insulted my faith, myself and my mother's faith and I ended up breaking down and crying in front of the Christian adults.

I know that not all Christians act like this; I know some who are very kind and generous and truly are the pure hearted Christians. But like all things, Christianity has a white and a black side to it. (And please don't take that as a racial remark.) The Christians who are written in this story are warped and inhumane, their priorities aren't straight and they are doing things for themselves. I am in no way, shape or form trying to preach that all Christians are like that, because that is not true at all. I did some research, and though Japan shut their doors to all for hundreds of years, Europeans were able to get preachers into the mainland and preach their beliefs. However, before the preacher's deaths, it became evident that they were not teaching the correct faith and that they were striving to gain control of the villages they had taken occupancy in. Due to their efforts, less than 1% of Japan is Christian, and they succeed in bringing Christmas into the lives of the Japanese.

But, this story isn't historically accurate due to the fact that Japan _did_ shut down their communication with the outside world for many years…just bare with me for the story's sake.

So, the priest in this story is meant to be a sneaky little bastard, and Kagome's mother is taught by the sneaky little bastard and therefore is turning into a sneaky little bastard as well. Please try not to be too mad at me (bows) I was simply writing the story as I wanted it to be.

Next chapter is the last chapter, by the way, so be prepared for the grand finale…and the total angst…


	6. Scroll VI

_Author's notes:_ The last chapter. And I tip my hat to those who guessed where I got this inspiration! _The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings_ (I believe) and _Things Fall Apart_ (burns it) (forgot the author's names for both) are both inspirational works that helped me plot out this story. Though I really hated _Things Fall Apart_ when I read it, the message did get across to me, and there was no girl in _Very Old Man_…

**Paper Wings  
===  
Chapter six  
====**

****

The week passed slowly for Kagome's mother. Though the head of the village had promised that no one would hurt Kagome, she couldn't help but feel worried about the outcome of this village's future. The tension hung thick in the air, and many of the villagers gave her daughter deadly glares. Kagome had refused to leave the courtyard, for fear of the creature being left alone. Therefore, she had not heard the terrible things people spoke of regarding her and the spawn.

The healer sighed and placed her youngest child, Souta, into his crib, gently rocking the child until he fell asleep.

She glanced out the window to see Kagome once again taking care of the creature. She kept claiming that the storm two weeks ago had made him sick and that he should be allowed in the house. Kagome's mother had refused, rejecting the idea of letting something evil into her home. Kagome had had some retort, but she had not listened.

Hearing footsteps, the healer left the tranquility of her home and walked across the courtyard towards the opening to the outside world. Visitors had been slim as of late, but still some came. Once Naraku had visited, confirming that their deal was set for the end of the week, however, she had yet to tell her daughter of the selling of Inu yasha. Kagome's mother knew that Kagome was attached to him; anyone with eyes could see as much, and that was partly why she sold the creature. She did not want her daughter to be pulled into something evil.

"Healer?" came a timid voice. A woman appeared from behind the stone wall to gaze up at Kagome's mother.

"That is me," Kagome's mother said with a small smile. "What is it that you need?"

"My mother," the woman whispered, she couldn't be any older than Kagome. "She is very sick…"

"Ah, speak no more. If you'll follow me, I can collect my things, and you can tell me how she is sick," the older of the two women smiled and made her way towards the house.

"I dare not enter," the small woman said meekly.

"What was that?"

"I dare not enter. I dare not enter the home that has been drenched in evil," the girl said and lowered her eyes. "My mother has a fever."

"Aye," The healer sighed, "I understand, just wait here until I get back with my supplies."

"Thank you, ma'am," the girl said sweetly, though fear still laced her voice.

Kagome watched her mother run into the house only to exit and run towards the other girl, who refused to enter into her home. Kagome felt a little uneasy these days, feeling like something big was coming. She glanced at Inu yasha, who was staring up at the dark clouds that danced across the sky, small flashes of blue could be seen, but they were minimum and soon covered by the dark masses of clouds.

"Do you feel it?" he asked as his golden eyes surveyed the horizon.

"Feel what?"

"You're world is corrupt," he murmured and Kagome stared at him. He refused to meet her gaze, his eyes still sweeping over the sky and the rest of the village far off down the hill. "Something is happening that we are not aware of."

"Many things happen we are not aware of, Inu yasha," Kagome said softly.

"Something that concerns us…and we are being left in the dark," he said and finally turned his gaze towards hers. The fire in his eyes burned brightly and Kagome felt her heart speed up. "It's only a matter of time before it happens."

Kagome felt a shiver run through her and she turned towards the darkened sky. "Yes, I feel it."

===

Naraku entered the church loudly, banging open the large wooden doors and strolling towards the altar like he owned the world. His stride was long and powerful and his smirk was deadly. Miroku, who had been sweeping the church's floor clean looked up when he saw the village headman walk in. "Good day to you," he called from the other side of the church. Naraku gave him a disdainful glare before strolling past him.

"Out of my way, boy. Where is Brown?" Naraku sneered angrily at Miroku.

Miroku, slightly taken aback by the man's sour attitude pointed towards the priest in question's quarters. "He's in there, sir."

Naraku marched to where Miroku indicated and knocked loudly on the door. A faint 'come in' could be heard and Naraku stormed in, the door flying open. Miroku continued with his duty of sweeping, though he continually crept closer and closer to the room that the two men were in.

"It is almost time," he heard Naraku's voice.

"Are you certain of this?" Brown's voice asked, his voice much older and calmer than Naraku's.

"Yes, the Americans will be here within two days," Naraku said, agitated.

_'Americans?__ What are they doing coming here?'_ Miroku wondered as he crept closer, his body pressed against the wall as he tried to hear everything his elders said. _'What are they planning?'_

"I see…"

"We must capture the creature now," Naraku demanded angrily.

"Now?"

"Now. That's what I said." Naraku's sneering voice filtered out towards Miroku. Miroku's dark blue eyes narrowed in wonderment as he clenched his broomstick angrily.

"Well then," he heard the rustling of clothing and knew that his mentor was standing now, towering over Naraku, probably running a hand through his thick blond hair. "I suppose we should go collect him then."

"We don't know how powerful he is," Naraku said darkly.

"That is true. We should go collect anyone who is willing to restrain him if we must."

"Perfect."

"But what of the girl?"

"She will not get in our way," Naraku said sinisterly and a small chuckle escaped his lips.

Miroku backed away slowly, pursing his lips, _'I don't like the sound of that…'_

"Come," Naraku said darkly and the two men exited, eyeing Miroku with a weary gaze. The boy was still sweeping in the same spot he'd been in when Naraku had entered.

"Good day to you sir," Miroku repeated, only this time as a farewell instead of a greeting.

"Miroku, I hope to see this church spotless when I return," Minister Brown said with a small smile on his lips.

"I shall sir," Miroku said and gave a small bow.

As soon as the two men exited the church, Miroku flung his broom aside and raced towards the back entrance of the church. He had to determine for himself if the winged man truly was evil.

===

Kagome chewed her lip in anxiousness as she paced around the courtyard, trying to work out the kinks in her muscles from sitting for so long. The bad feeling had only grown within her and she felt like someone had thrown cold water down her back.

Inu yasha watched her from his vantage point on the ground; his golden eyes following her every move and his ears twitching towards her whenever she made a small noise of discontentment.

"I don't like this," Kagome said finally. "Mother has been gone for so long, and no visitors have come today." She eyed Inu yasha, who was casting her a slightly offended look. "Not saying I _want_ them to come. It's just that they always come. Why are they suddenly no longer visiting and agitating us?" She walked briskly to the entrance and looked out of the gateway. "Empty," she muttered to herself. Inu yasha's canine ears perked up at her grumble.

"Relax," he said after a moment of her silent fretting. Kagome obeyed, silently walking towards him and plopping down next to him, a small blush staining her cheeks.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"It's alright," he reassured her, a small smile on his lips. Kagome blushed again and snuggled into his shoulder, hiding her face in his silver hair.

Soon Kagome found herself dozing off, the stress of recent events causing her to grow weary at earlier hours. Inu yasha watched as she slept.

After about an hour of Kagome's gentle breathing, Inu yasha's ears twitched towards the entrance of Kagome's home, where a set of footsteps were quickly approaching. His eyes narrowed and his arms tightened around Kagome, who dreamed on peacefully.

Suddenly, a boy ran into the courtyard, his black hair pulled back into a small pony tail at the nape of his neck. Sparkling blue eyes searched around blindly before they settled on Inu yasha, whose eyes narrowed to slits as he fluttered his wings warningly.

The boy, who he now noticed was dressed in priest robes, walked over towards him, his eyes wide and his body begging for air. "So this is what you look like…?" he murmured as he stared at Inu yasha with wide eyes. Instinctively Inu yasha's arms tightened around Kagome, drawing her closer to him and slightly behind his wing.

The boy took a step towards him and Inu yasha reeled back slightly, his teeth bared and his wings forming around him defensively.

"Wait, don't be afraid." The boy waved his hands and Inu yasha eyed him suspiciously. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to warn you."

"Go on," Inu yasha said, and the boy seemed surprised that he could talk.

"There are some people coming," Miroku stated, as he faced an internal struggle with himself. '_Evil or Good?__ Dark or Pure?'_ He couldn't tell, but he had to trust his instincts. "They're here to take you away, far away. You'll be ill treated."

Kagome stirred beside Inu yasha and she sat up rubbing her eyes. Opening her blue orbs she observed the newcomer and a tense, growling Inu yasha. "What…?" she whispered before standing, only to be pushed back by Inu yasha. "Inu yasha!" she cried in surprise, "What is going on?"

"Stay back," he growled, though Miroku could hear the tint of tenderness in his voice, his golden eyes watched Kagome before returning the fiery gaze to the young priest-to-be.

"Miss Kagome," Miroku addressed the girl, for that was who he assumed the girl was. "I'm afraid I have bad news. I'm sorry for intruding, but…"

Kagome peeked out from behind Inu yasha's shoulders, where the boy's wings did a significant enough dip for her to have a clear view of Miroku.

"There are people coming to take him away." He motioned towards the one in question. "I felt that you had a right to know."

Kagome blinked and gently pushed aside Inu yasha's large feathered wing. She ignored Inu yasha's grunt of disapproval and walked towards Miroku. She stood at his chin and had to tip her head back in order to look him in the eye.

"Why are you helping me?" she said firmly. Miroku was slightly thrown back by this response.

He offered a small smile. "Because I don't like to see prejudice towards another in the name of God." He stated it calmly and for the first time knew that what he was doing was right. He didn't have doubts. What his mentor was doing, what Naraku was doing, what their followers were doing…it was all wrong; they were prejudicing this winged man because of their fears and insecurities. They refused to believe anything else.

Kagome smiled, "Thank you…"

Inu yasha growled behind her and they turned their attention towards the winged man. His attention was elsewhere. His ears were perked high and his eyes were trained to the entrance of Kagome's home. "What is it Inu yasha?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

"They're coming," he said firmly and his fist clenched.

Kagome cast Miroku a nervous glance before running back to Inu yasha, his arm instinctively came up and wrapped around her, drawing her close to him and protecting her with his body.

Sure enough, moments later the sound of angry men could be heard, their stomping footsteps leading up towards the small hut. Kagome clenched Inu yasha's kimono, the dirtied kimono fisting in her hand. "Inu yasha…" she murmured, fear lacing her voice.

"I'm here," he reassured her, his voice comforting her in what was sure to be her bleakest hour. "We'll be ok."

She hoped he was right.

As predicted, the villagers came storming into the courtyard, holding ropes, spears, swords and various other weapons. Kagome felt her fear rise as she realized that they had truly come for Inu yasha at last. Inu yasha's grip on her tightened and she saw his ears flatten against his skull, his golden eyes studying him.

Kagome recognized the priest in the crowd. Father Brown. "Miroku, what are you doing here?" he addressed the boy that had come to warn them.

"Sir, this is wrong," Miroku spoke, his voice loud and harsh, "Can't you see that he is not evil? Can't you see that he has not sinned?"

"Miroku, you are a fool," Brown said crossly, "You are ignorant and uneducated. Stand aside."

"No," Miroku said and stood tall; Kagome stared at him in shock and amazement. She had not known that people like him still lived in her village. Perhaps there was hope for them yet?

Naraku snarled and pushed his way through the crowd of men, striding towards Miroku he pushed him aside harshly, the young man falling the ground in a small gasp of pain. Naraku turned his dark, angry eyes towards Kagome and Inu yasha. "That thing will come with us," he snarled.

"No," Kagome protested, her voice finally finding its way past her throat.

Naraku snarled and clenched his fists. "We have custody over him; he was sold to us; he belongs to us. Hand him over!"

"He belongs to no one!" Kagome yelled angrily, moving away from Inu yasha's protective embrace.

"Kagome, move aside." Kagome recognized the voice as her mother's and Kagome felt fury growing within her. "Kagome, please..."

"I won't!" She protested sadly as she clenched her hands into fists. "I won't let you take him away from me!"

"We'll get him either way!" A bulky village man holding a spear snarled, and Kagome retreated back a step.

Suddenly, she felt Inu yasha pushing her back and she gasped in surprise as he stood before them, his wings spread out as far as they would go. "Leave her alone," he snarled and pumped his wings back and forth, in front and behind him, sending large gusts of wind soaring towards the villagers. The men were swept off their feet and fell to the ground. Inu yasha smirked in satisfaction and turned towards Kagome, his hands reaching out and grabbing her.

Kagome only had a moment to adjust, because as soon as she was being held by Inu yasha, being held tightly in his arms, he started running across the courtyard, his eyes narrowed with determination.

Behind her she heard Naraku yell, "Don't let them get away!"

Kagome grasped Inu yasha's shoulders tightly as he jumped into the air. She felt his wings pump around her and she slammed her eyes shut out of fear. His hold on her was gentle, yet firm enough to ensure she did not fall away from him.

After a moment, Kagome cracked open her eyes and looked around. She was shocked to see they were high in the air, the wind whipping her face. She looked below her and saw her village and her home on the cliff. Her eyes widened in fascination at the scene that lay before her. She looked past her village and saw the forests and the dark ocean stretching for miles and miles.

She turned her face back towards Inu yasha who was watching her, "You're wings…they're healed?"

"They've been healed for weeks now," he whispered quietly and Kagome stared at him. "I just…didn't want to leave," he murmured, his voice low.

Kagome stared at him in surprise. _'Even after all he's been through. All that abuse…he still stayed…he stayed with me.'_ She felt her heart swell and she gripped him tightly as he continued to fly.

Kagome's eyes seemed pained. _'We could run away together…we could leave this village,'_ she mused as she stared at him, his eyes seemingly concentrated on where he was going, though they seemed alit with a look of pure delight she'd never seen before. He was happy to be flying again. _'No…I couldn't. We couldn't. No matter where we went, we'd always be chased. Just because he's a little different.' _

She squeezed her eyes shut and willed her tears away, _'I have to send him away. I have to protect him!' _

"Inu yasha," she murmured, "Land on that beach, please."

He obeyed and dipped down onto the shoreline where she had first found him, bloody and injured. She had healed him, befriended him, but now she stood before him, afraid of sending him away, but knowing it was for the best.

She turned her eyes towards the cliff and saw the mass of people rushing towards them, trying to get to them. She had enough time, she hoped.

She turned back to Inu yasha, resisting the tears that were inevitable. He looked confused and curious. "Inu yasha, you have to leave."

"Then what are we standing here for?" he asked in wonderment. He, too, had seen the mass of people.

"No, not we. You," Kagome whimpered, "You have to leave. Be free."

"What?" he looked pained by the very idea as he stared at her. "I can't leave you."

"You have to!" Kagome said, trying to sound angry, "Can't you see I don't want you any more?" A tear rolled down her cheek as she stepped forward and pushed against his hard chest. "Can't you see I want you to go away? I don't want to see you anymore!"

His hands shot out and gripped her hands, causing her to gasp. "You lie," he said plainly as his pained eyes stared into hers.

Kagome desperately tried to hang onto her jumbled feelings, her emotions overflowing as tears ran down her cheeks. He tenderly brushed them away. "Inu yasha," she whispered. "I…" it was hard to say it. She looked up at him. "I want to protect you. You can't stay here. You need to go back to where you came from."

He lowered his head, his ears drooped. "I want to stay with you," he said quietly, making Kagome's heart break.

"I want you to stay with me, too. But you can't. It wouldn't work," she sobbed as she ran into his arms, holding him closely to her. He towered high above her, her head barely reaching his neck. "Please, please, please, live. Live!"

She squeezed her eyes shut again, "I love you." It slipped out quickly as she pulled away and gazed up at him. It was true. Over the weeks she'd cared for him and healed him, the winged man had slowly captured her heart.

His eye widened and he blushed brightly. Kagome stared in wonderment. That was the first time she'd seen him blush. For a moment, she could believe that perhaps at one time he could have been human.

"I…love you too," he whispered quietly and stared at her.

Angry shouts sounded in the distance and Kagome knew they were nearing them. "Please," she whimpered as she gently pushed him towards the water. "Be free. Fly away."

His eyes softened and he leaned forward, capturing her lips delicately, his mouth slanted over hers. She let out a small gasp of surprise before returning the kiss. More tears flowed from her. Gods, it hurt so much…

He pulled away regretfully and stared at her, before backing away into the water. Kagome stared in amazement as his feet traveled over the water, but didn't sink below.

He was walking on water.

Kagome gazed at him and she walked towards him, her feet swishing in the water as the drag tried to prevent her from moving quickly. He smiled at her as she began to sink below him as the water level rose. "Inu yasha," she asked, as she stared up at him. "What are you?"

He paused and stared at her for a long moment before smiling. "I am Inu yasha. That is all that matters," he said and Kagome couldn't help but agree.

She reached out her hand to him and he gently captured it, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'll never forget you," she promised.

"We'll meet again," he assured her and released her hold, continuing to walk away. He gazed at her sadly as Kagome began to sob. "Please, don't cry for me," he murmured as he turned his back on her, the sun reflecting off his beautifully sculpted feathers, the light reflecting the silver and gold that danced across the white feathers.

They flapped gently as he began to walk quicker on the water, before starting to run and lifting of the ground, his wings evening out as he soared into the sky. Like an eagle.

Kagome watched him go with tears in her eyes. She watched as he flew towards the large sun, until he was a tiny speck and had disappeared from her view forever. "Goodbye," she whispered.

She backed out of the water and stared, hoping to see one more glimpse of him. She knew that he hated to leave, but he had no choice.

She smiled faintly and wiped her eyes.

"You!" Cried a voice and Kagome whirled around, to see the men had surrounded her. Her mother was rushing towards them as well as some other village women. Kagome stared at the men towering over her, their anger evident. It was Naraku who spoke, "Now."

Suddenly a man came diving at her with his spear readied. Kagome's eyes widened in shock as the spearhead dug into her stomach. She gasped in pain as the weapon penetrated her body and came out the other end.

She stood on wobbly knees, her hands hesitantly touching the spear protruding from her belly, blood stained her kimono, and she began coughing, small rivers of blood flowing from her open mouth. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at her kinsmen. The ones she'd grown up with.

Her knees collapsed below her and she fell to the ground, her whole body shaking. A single tear dropped from her closed eyes, clenched shut in pain as she raised her head to look at the village men.

And she died with a smile on her face.

"No!" screamed her mother as she reached the scene, staring at her dead daughter, lying sprawled across the sand, the golden grains stained crimson from her large wound. "You promised you wouldn't hurt her!" the healer sobbed as she pounded against Naraku's back with her fists.

Naraku smirked and turned towards her, sending a small slap across her cheek. "I promised _I_ wouldn't hurt her. I kept my promise," he said with a small smirk on his face. "I have purged my village of the evil. It was this bitch's fault that I lost my demon. That will cost me dearly. For that, I will not pay you."

"Do you think I care about that?" the woman sobbed as she collapsed to her fallen, dead daughter. "You killed my child! You killed my child! You killed my child!" Naraku snorted and turned away, his followers following him up the path back towards the village, leaving the woman with her dead child. Sympathetic village woman tried to comfort the woman, but it was no use.

Her daughter was gone. And nothing would bring her back…

_Epilogue_

_His hand traveled across the small shrine over his sister's gravesite. His dark blue eyes saddened as he recalled the stories his mother often told him about his dead sister, the girl who had fought for what she believed in…and lost._

_But had she truly lost?_

_Souta smiled as he gazed at his sister's grave. She had been dead for fifteen years. He had never known her. All he knew from the stories was that she was a brave, passionate girl who had been in love with a fallen angel._

_His eyes stared up at the sky and he sighed. After his sister's death, apparently, people began to realize. Realize what they had done. It was like the classic example of irony. No one realized what they were doing until it was too late. Too late to bring back his sister. Too late to bring back his mother's daughter._

'Hello sister,'_ he thought with a smile. _'Happy birthday.'_ He did it every year. He always came to his sister's grave and spoke to her. They had buried her in a small alcove on the beach, where the winter storms did not interfere. At first, they were thinking of burying her in the Church's graveyard, but his mother respected the fact her daughter had never converted._

'You were in love with a fallen angel.' _He thought with a gentle shake of his head. _'I don't know where you went sister. I hope you did not go to hell. I hope, though, that you got to see your angel again…'__

_He kneeled before his sister's grave and said a small prayer before standing and leaving the shrine. _

_"I hope you did," he murmured as he stared at the sky. "I hope the happiness you didn't receive in life was granted to you in blissful death."_

_He climbed up the cliff's path towards his home, where his mother was waiting for him._

_"I hope you're happy, sister. I hope he found you."_

_End_


End file.
